Thomas j



(No Model.)

T. J. LAMBERT.

RAILROAD STOVE.

Patented Dec. 9, 1884.

WWSses N PETERS. Phulwhlhngnphor. Washilvglolk [1C1 Nrrnn STATES PATENT rricn.

THOMAS J. LAMBERT, OF ST. CHARLES, MISSOURI.

RAILROAD-STOVE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 308,904, dated December 9, 1884.

(No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS J. LAMBERT, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Charles, in the county of St. Charles and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railroad-Stoves, for

the purpose of extinguishing the fire in the stove in case of accidents; and I do hereby declare that the following, taken in connection with the drawings which accompany and form part of this specification, is a description of my invention sufficient to enable those skilled in the-art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My improvement is designed to furnish a cheap and effective apparatus ready at all times for use, acting automatically as soon as the trucks leave the track or the cars begin to turn over, to cause the apparatus to throw a stream of water into the stove in quantities of a few gallons or twenty, according to the capacity of tank.

To carry my invention into effect I use a strong metallic tank at the base of the stove, somewhat larger in diameter than the stove, with a vessel or pipe extending nearly to the bottom of and opening at the bottom of the tank, and the pipe extends outside of the stove and unites with and opens into the stove at the top. In the tank, half-way to the bot tom, on each of two sides, are placed catches to hold or retain bottles containing chemicals, by the combination of which gas is evolved, the pressure of which will force the water from the tank through the pipe into the stove. At the top of the tank, on the inner side, are placed shelves or loops to sustain or maintain iron weights, which are placed on the two sides, overthe bottles holding the charge, which will roll off of the shelves or loops and break the bottles the moment the car leaves the track or begins to lean or topple over, thereby setting off the charge.

This description will serve to define in general terms the construction of my improvement.

Figure l represents a vertical section of the entire stove and apparatus. Fig. 2 is a view of stove with pipe 0 and top or cover of the tank combined. Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the tank or water-containing vessel, with bottles and weights suspended over them.

If desired, one weight suspended in the center to revolve or fall either way will be sufficient. The weights are oblong, something like sash-weights.

A denotes the tank or reservoir, made to hold from three gallons to ten or more gallons of water. This vessel is made perfectly tight, (when the top B is screwed on, which is done by bolts b and nuts 0,) excepting a pipe or tube, 0, which leads the water into the stove.

Near each of the opposite sides of the tank A, midway to bottom, are placed two bottles, 00, charged, and a weight, w, in the middle of tank, or weights to w on each of the sides of the tank A, and immediately over the bottles, to break them when dropped. The bottles, x are held in place by catches or loops 1, and the weights are held in place by shelf or catches z.

The composition to be used in the bottles x is as follows: In one of them is placed sulphuric acid and in the other bicarbonate of soda or marble-dust, in proper proportions. For a tank holding four gallons of water fifteen ounces of the bicarbonate of soda to ten ounces of sulphuric acid will be sufficient. The amount of each ingredient to be used with different amounts of water should be determined by experiment, a larger charge producing more rapid and greater pressure.

The apparatus is charged as follows: Two bottles-one of each ingredient-are charged and placed one on each side of the tank A, near the end of the tank, with the weights to w suspended across the end of the tank A, so that in any kind of an accident which overturns the car either way one weight or the other would be set loose and fall across the bottles. The tank is filled with water,and the top B or the rim of the tank A is to have a rubber washer, so that when the top B is screwed on by the aid of bolts 8 to the tank A it will be water-tight and ready for use.

What I desire to claim and secure by Letters Patent is- In an automatic fire-extinguisher for carheaters, a water'tank bolted to the under side of the bottom plate of the stove, and provided with a tube connecting the tank with the comits normal position on the rails, all combined bustion-chamber, two bottles filled with ehemiand arranged as and for the purpose set forth. oals suitable for producing carbonic-acid gas,

and secured to the bottom of the tank, and a THOMAS LAMBERT 5 cylindrical Weight suspended in brackets above Vitnesses:

said bottles in such a manner as to fall upon HERMAN G. Bonn,

and break them when the car is tipped from EDGAR A. POTTS. 

